Sign construction



June 7, 1932. R. c. HYDE ET AL SIGN CONSTRUCTION Filed March 11, 1951 Patented June 7, 1932 ire stares FATE RALEH C. HYDE AND CECIL VAN WYCK, OF LOS ANGELES, CAL-IFORINIA,'ASSIGNORS TO CLAUDE 1 1E031" ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS CORPORATION, 'LIIll, F WILMINGTON, DELA- WARE, A CORPORATION OF DELA'W'ARE SIGN CONSTRUCTION Application filed March 11,1931. Serial No. 521,666.

Our invention relates to sign constructions and has particular reference to a sign construction in which a portion of the attractive feature of the sign constitutes its method of illumination.

In producing attractive signs tubular lamps may be effectively employed for illuminating a portion of the sign, or its decorative ornamentation. Therefore it is an object of this invention to provide a construction in which the appearance of the body of the sign is enhanced by decorative housing of a tubular source of illumination.

Another object of our invention is to provide a sign construction in which a sign bearing the sign indicia is supported between a pair of tubular lamps provided with means for producing a decorative dividing of the illumination of the tubular lamps.

Our inventionwill be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wheresign constructed in accordance with our invention; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along line IIII of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, we have illus trated a sign construction in which a base 1 constitutes the support for a sign body 2 upon which suitable sign indicia 3 and 4 may be placed. The sign body 1 is illustrated as comprising a plate-like signboard of substantially rectangular configuration, though it will be understood that any suitable configuration may be employed, to enhance the appearance of the sign.

Arranged along each of the side edges of the sign body 2 is a tubular lamp 5 extending substantially parallel to the edges of the sign body. The tubular lamp 5 is illustrated as being enclosed in a tubular housing 6 which may be formed of metal or other suitable material provided with a plurality of openings 7 therethrough to permit illumination from the lamp 5 to be visible through the enclosing tube 6.

The openings 7 may be of any suitable size or shape and are preferably arranged in a Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a predetermined decorative design, such as is illustrated at 8,.in Figure 1.

' The upper end of the tubularhousing 6 may terminate in a decorative endor knob 9 of any suitable design, this. knob 9 having formed therein or integral therewith a terminal 10 for engaging one end ofthe tube 5 to supply electric current thereto. If desired, the terminal 10 in each of the tubes 6 may be cross-connected at the upper end of the sign by suitable conductors, not shown,so that the two lamps 5 may beplaced in a single electric circuit; V i The base 1 of the sign is illustrated'as be ing of substantially box like construction and may be employed to house a transfomer 11 and other suitable controlling devices for furnishing the proper electric current to the tubular lamps 5. The enclosing tubular housing 6 may extend downwardlyv through this box like base to be telescopically engaged by an upstanding lug 12 struck inwardly from the base of the box A suitable electrical terminal '18-may. be secured inside the tubular housing 6 and insulated therefrom, as is indicated at 14, to permit of ready electrical connection with the neon tube 5 with the transformer 11 by means of conductor 15.

The sign construction illustrated and described herein produces an exceptionally pleasing effect in that the illumination by.

a single lamp is so divided and projected through the decorative openings in the enclosing housing tubes 6 that various effects of illumination may be obtained. .Moreover, by enclosing the lamp 5 within the enclosing housing .6, the tubular lamp is protected against injury when the'sign is arranged in such position as permits it to be touched or contacted by persons viewing the sign.

By such enclosure of the lamps, injury to persons who might inadvertentlyitou'ch the lamps is avoided so that the sign construction illustrated is not only pleasing in appearance but increases the effective character of the sign by'permitting' its location in exposed positions where a non-enclosed lamp would not be permitted and in which the factor of safety both to the sign and to persons who 7 might touch the sign is increased.

While We have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to any of the details shown or described herein, except as defined in the appended claims.

We claim: p

1. In asign construction, a relatively flat sign body, a. base supporting said sign body, a pair of-tubular lampscommunicating with said base-and extending along the borders of said sign body, a tubular enclosing housing for said lamp having perforations, therethrough permitting illumination from said lamp to pass through said housing, and electric terminals formed in said base and in the remote ends of said housing for passingthe electric current from said base to said lamps. 2. In a sign constructlon, a Slgll body, a

V box-likelbase for supporting said sign body,

a pair of tubular housings extending from said base and bordering said sign body, the

remote ends of said housings constituting electric terminals within said base,tubular lamps in each of sa d hous ngs connecting with the terminals of said base and the terminal associated with said housing, said housing being provided with perforations permitting illumination of their saidlainps to extend outwardly of said housing.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 2nd day of March, 1931. I

RALPH C. HYDE.

CECIL VAN WYGK.

es Q 

